


Blink

by AMac0218



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Parents, F/M, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-19 22:58:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2406014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMac0218/pseuds/AMac0218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU- Oliver and Felicity being parents and raising their son. I'm bad at summaries...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blink

**Author's Note:**

> Completely AU. Mostly Olivers POV. Sorry if it sucks! I just had this idea and wanted to write it.

_Blink once, twice, three times._

Oliver and Felicity had been together for almost a year, and they’d circled around each other for a hand full of years before that. They’d started and stopped mostly because of Oliver and his fear of putting her in more danger. Felicity eventually put her foot down and told him, ‘I’m always in danger, Oliver! I work with the Arrow, and that isn’t exactly confidential information to bad guys anymore!’ She’d also given him the life is too short speech and that if anyone knew that was true it was him. She told him to grab the bull by the horns and seize moment.

It all happens so fast. One minute she’s telling him she’s pregnant. Was it planned? No. It came as a surprise, really. Then it all happened even faster after he knew.

The pair were beyond busy with doctors’ appointments, getting a nursery, moving because she ‘refused to live in a house that had more than one kitchen’. Throw that in with learning the sex, a boy, going through mountains of baby names, Thomas Johnathan Queen, and add in an occasional vomit session (which thankfully calmed down after the first trimester) Oliver was starting to think this being a father thing was going to kick his ass.

She’s in the delivery room faster than a hiccup it seemed to him, and then it was all over.

_Blink once, twice, three times._

The baby is a minute old, making his grand debut on October 1st at 0600 wailing, and pink and platinum blonde. Oliver felt the world shift under his feet the moment he heard his cries, and he knew nothing was ever going to be the same again. He felt himself get flooded with happiness, feeling the dark that had shrouded his life since Lian Yu lift. A ray of light had pierced its way through long ago in the form of a blonde genius with lack of a brain to mouth filter whenever she got nervous, but this ray of light blasted its way through the dark and made it disappear. He felt lighter than air and was almost afraid that he’d float away. However, when he was handed his son, he was grounded again. The baby was small, he fit perfectly in Oliver’s hands like he’d been made for him. Like all the scars and bullet wounds had been a pathway leading to this moment and he couldn’t have been more thankful for each mark.

“Hey, buddy,” he said as he cradled him to his chest while Felicity slept, looking at him with complete awe. “You kept mommy up for almost two days…and now you get to keep me awake for the rest of my life,” he chuckled as he brushed his thumb over his cheek. “Tommy…I’m just letting you know that I’m gonna screw up probably a lot…I’ve never been a dad before but you’ve never been a son before either so we’re gonna have to play a give and take game here okay?” he asked. “I want you to know that I’m going to protect you as best as I can,” he nodded. “I won’t fail you.” He said as he leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

_Blink once, twice, three times._

Three months goes by, and he swears up and down that Tommy smiled at him.

“No, Felicity I swear he smiled,” he said as he looked down at the boy in his arms, holding him so he was resting on his forearms, head cradled in his palms so they could see each other. Tommy’s mouth opens in a gummy grin and Oliver makes a ‘pst’ noise to Felicity, “See?” he asked, getting excited.

“Oliver, that’s just gas,” she said to him.

“What? No it isn’t it-,” he stopped and frowned when the smile went away at the same time his diaper filled up, “it was just gas…” he grumbled. “I’ll get a real smile out of you.”

The youngest Arrow member hits five months and suddenly he’s laughing, a sound that is music to Oliver’s ears. The cause of the laugh?

He’d just stubbed his toe.

Tommy had been sitting in his bouncer while his father moved around the kitchen like the Flash and came to a halt when his toe connected with the counter. Profanity left Oliver’s mouth while a giggle tumbled from his son’s. The man turned to him, “Don’t tell your mother what I just said,” he said to him, pointing, making the baby laugh again. He grinned at his son and then frowned, “You laughed when I hurt myself…you’re Thea,” he grumbled. “Your aunt’s first laugh was when I fell off my bed,” he said to him. “Definitely a Queen..” he mumbled.

Two months later he’s sitting on the ground, the baby on his hands and knees looking at his father. “C’mon, buddy,” he said as he pat his legs. “C’mon, Tommy, just move your arms and legs, it’s easy,” he said as he got into the same position and showed him how to crawl. “Just one hand and then a knee and then a hand and a knee,” he said as he looked back at him, watching as he smiled at him. All of the sudden he moves, wobbly at first and then he’s off like a missile. He’s zooming through the house causing Oliver to laugh as he chases after him, scooping him up and hugging him to his chest, kissing his cheek. He was able to keep up with him at a normal walking pace, but he still thought it was quick for a baby.

“That's my boy,” he said as he gave his stomach a pat. “You’re above the learning curve, definitely a Smoak,” he smiled more. “But you’re fast…I think we should ask your mother who your real dad is,” he said as he chuckled, joking, the baby smiling a dribbly smile.

_Blink once, twice, three times._

The years pass and Tommy hits all the milestones either early or right on time. He learns to talk, the first word being ‘dada’, which filled Oliver with the most pride he’s ever felt, and had Felicity staring with her mouth open feigning hurt. He learns that he can climb most things. Oliver had found him on the floor of his room a few times after he’d put him to bed, and he was thankful he’d never caught him climbing the curtains, though he’d prepared himself not to be surprised if he did one day.

“You definitely don’t seem to be afraid of anything,” Felicity said as she picked him off the cabinets which he’d managed to unlock even with the baby locks. “This daredevil streak better end here, mister,” she said as she lifted him and blew raspberries on his stomach, causing him to squeal with laughter.

“Yeah, it’ll totally stop here,” Oliver nodded, humoring her. Queens always had a wild streak a mile wide when they got older.

The archer finds his son one day with a crayon to the wall. “Tommy!” he said in a low voice, causing the boy to drop the wax stick and then put his hands behind his back.

“Not me, daddy,” he shook his head, looking down at his shoes.

“Who was it then?” he asked as he frowned and went over to him and bent down so they were eye level. He looked at the picture on the wall and he could sort of make out what it was supposed to be. It was him, tall with yellow hair, next to Felicity and Tommy next to them and a circle with a rectangle body and a line coming out of one of the corners. “Is that a dog?” he asked his son, trying hard not to smile.

He shrugged, “Yes..”

“Hm..” Oliver nodded a bit, “Tell you what, kiddo,” he said to him. “You don’t color on anything except coloring books and paper and I’ll get you a puppy. Deal?” he asked.

“Deal!” he said as he jumped into his dad’s chest, wrapping his arms around his neck. Oliver hugged him tight and rubbed his back before he pat his shoulder.

“Now let’s go get soap and take care of this before your mother comes home.”

“Kay,” he said as he turned and went down the steps, carefully, using both feet on each step.

_Blink once, twice, three times._

Oliver held Tommy’s hand as they stood out in front of the classroom. It was his first day of kindergarten. His son looked up at his dad as they just stood there.

“Daddy?”

He blinked and looked down at his son, “Yeah, bud?” he asked.

“Can we go in?”

He nodded, “Yeah, bud,” he said as he reached for the doorknob. He let out a breath as he turned it and pulled the door open.

All pairs of eyes turn to look at them and Oliver sighed as he looked down at Tommy. Once the kids looked away again, he knelt down so he could look him in the eye, putting his hands on his shoulders. “Don’t be scared okay?” he asked him. “It’s gonna be okay…you’ll make a lot of friends and…don’t be worried to show them all how smart you are. When you want to make new friends what do you say?” he asked.

“Hi. I’m Tommy.”

“That’s right.” He looked at his son for a long moment, trying to ignore the tugging on his heart and the burning behind his eyes. He clenched his teeth a little as he pulled him into a hug, holding him tight. “I love you, buddy,” he said as he kissed the side of his head.

“Love you too, daddy,” Tommy responded into his neck. Oliver held him for as long as he could before his son pulled back and looked at his father square in the face. He knew something was wrong. He’d never seen his dad’s eyes this glassy before. “Are you sad?”

He shook his head at the question, clearing his throat and swallowing the knot in it because he knew if he spoke before that he’d lose it. “No, Tommy I’m not sad,” he said to him. He gave him a tight smile before he kissed his forehead. “Go have fun, okay?”

“Okay,” he nodded. He took off as Oliver stood, and turned to leave. By the time he was at the door he already had three other kids laughing, which made the archer laugh, feeling a little better about the whole thing.

He was pretty sure that whoever said the first day of school was the scariest, they meant for the parents. He left the room so his son could enjoy the day, but he didn’t go far though.

He waited in the hallway for the rest of the day too worried to go home.

His son hits his first bullseye at the age of seven. Oliver had gotten him a bow and suction cup arrows a couple years ago and he’d been teaching him how to shoot since then. They moved onto smaller dulled tipped practice arrows, and when the arrow sailed through the air and hit the middle of the target with a satisfying ‘ _thwump_ ’ Oliver and Tommy both threw their hands in the air and yelled. He bent down and had picked him up, setting him on his shoulder as he laughed. The pride he felt for his son grew every day, and it never ceased to amaze him. He wondered how much of the deadliest sin could flow through his system before his chest burst.

 Tommy entered grade school and easily made his way through it, passing his classes with flying colors, surprising no one.

He brought his father in for career day in third grade, and instead of talking about how Oliver was ship wrecked, came back and lost Queen Consolidated, and then managed to get it back and make it better, he instead talked about how he spent his weekends shooting arrows, which Oliver laughed off, “What an imagination, huh?” he asked, trying to cover up what he’d said and somehow knowing that this wouldn’t be the last time he’d have to say that.

He spent the night trying to explain to him why he shouldn’t tell kids that he practiced with weapons with his father, even if they weren’t deadly weapons at the moment.

It’s Felicity’s turn to boast about how smart their son is when he writes his first code at nine. “It’s not an easy code, either, Oliver, it was a hard one.”

Oliver just smiles and nods because even after all these years he still doesn’t get what she talks about when she mentions code or hacking. “That’s great, Felicity,” he said as he stood and went over to her, leaning down to kiss her.

The next day he went into class and when he had to write about what he did that weekend he wrote about how he learned that he could get into any social media account and that he’d be able to get into the school’s grading book system by the end of the year; a confession that had both parents sitting in his teacher’s office with Oliver shaking his head and chuckling saying, “What an imagination, huh?”

Middle school came and went, Tommy having skipped seventh grade and gotten all A’s. He’d started taking high school math, and Oliver was surprised at how had it had gotten.

“Whatever happened to two times ten?” he asked Felicity and their son as he looked at the problems.

“That was second grade Oliver,” his wife said as she looked up at him, smirking a little.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly for Tommy until his first girlfriend. They’d been dating for a month and Oliver’s son swore up and down that he had been in love. Now he was seated across from him as he scowled into his ice cream, a scowl that shocked Oliver with how similar the two of them looked.

“I just thought..” he sighed as he set his forehead on the heel of his hand. “Am I stupid, dad?” he asked as he looked at his father.

Oliver laughed and then shut his mouth fast, and shook his head. “You know you are far from stupid” he said as he looked at him. “You’re doing tenth grade math,” he said as he shifted a bit. “She was your first girlfriend, Tommy,” he said to him. “Do you know how many women it took for me to meet your mother?” he asked as he lifted an eyebrow.

He shook his head.

“A long time,” he chuckled before he gave the younger man a soft smile.

“Yeah but how’d you know?”

Oliver shrugged, “It all just fit,” he said to him. “I spent a long time ignoring it and then a longer time it wasn’t there….But I knew the moment I realized that I’d do anything for her.” He conveniently left out that ‘anything’ ranged from getting her a cup of coffee to killing whoever threatened her. His son knew what he did with his nights and he didn’t need to tell him that. “I knew the moment I could feel myself start to feel…lighter,” he nodded. “And I felt like…like she was constant North.”

Tommy looked at him, confusion on his face.

“You’ll understand one day. I promise. But until then…there’s going to be heartbreak…yours and theirs,” he nodded. “But you’ll find it.”

_Blink once, twice, three times._

The wild streak that Oliver had been scared to death might show up in him stays dormant all through high school. Thankfully, the only defiant thing he did was reprogram the HBO child locks because he “wasn’t a child anymore” and that he should be able to watch whatever he wanted.

Felicity allowed it, for the most part. She had a child block on the porn stations that he wouldn’t be able to get through no matter how hard he tried. Her son might be smart, but she had years of computer skills under her belt and was always a step ahead when she needed to be.

He graduated at seventeen, valedictorian like his mother, and he accepted a scholarship to MIT, wanting to take up computer programming.

Oliver helped him pack the car and once again he’s standing in front of his son. Only this time he wasn’t holding his hand and it wasn’t the first day of school, but the feeling Oliver had back in that hallway came over him again.

The worry. The fear. But more importantly, the pride.

He looked Tommy in the eyes, giving him a smile before he reached out and pulled him into a hug. He holds his son close as if trying to hold onto everything that he’d lived for the past seventeen years. The archer pat his son on the back before he pulled away and gave him a small nod, “I’m proud of you, buddy,” he said to him.

“Thanks dad.”

After a tearful hug goodbye from Felicity, he handed him the keys, “Be careful…text your mother…do your school work…have fun,” he said as he nodded. “And remember that I love you.” He told him.

Tommy hugged Oliver again, causing him to clench his teeth and push away the straining in the back of his eyes as he fought back tears. Once the separated he watched at his son got into the car. Oliver wrapped his arms around Felicity, holding her against his chest with one arm as he waved to the car as it got smaller and smaller.

He looked down at his wife, kissing her gently. “You did a good job,” he smiled at her as he lifted his hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“We both did.”

The time came when Tommy figured out that everything Oliver had said back when he was thirteen about finding the right girl was true.

He brought her home in his sophomore year of college. She was a bright bubbly brunette who was in school to become a nurse. Felicity hacked into the FBI database that night to run a background check on her all the while Oliver sat in bed rolling his eyes.

He graduated MIT Summa Cum Laude a year early. A year after that, when his fiancée graduated, they got married and moved back to Starling City, much to Oliver and Felicity’s happiness.

Oliver is seated next to Felicity, both of their arms full. He looked down at the little girl in his arms, and the small yawning boy in hers, unable to tear his eyes away from either of them.

He tilted his head a little, cradling the small bundle against his chest like he did with Tommy all those years ago. The years that seemed to have gone by at the snap of a finger and yet he could remember it all.

A million memories, and a million smiles.

“So dad…does it get easier from here?” his son asked him.

Oliver shrugged as he kept his eyes on his granddaughter, “Yes and no,” he said to him. “You’re going to be surprised how much pride you can have in someone…how much you can love someone without knowing them,” he looked up at him, the young man almost a spitting image of himself. He could see all the feelings that he felt when he had been born, all the emotions written on his face “And you’re going to be completely thrown off by how fast it all goes from here,” he nodded a little. “Then…you’re going to want to do it all over again…The good, the bad, everything. But you’re going to have fun,” he nodded. “Just remember to take the time and enjoy it.”

 _Blink once. Twice. Three times_.


End file.
